NEWS 1 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015
VOL. 116, NO. 128 • SINCE 1908
To legalize or not??
Interim Arts and Sciences dean named
Marijuana j merits dialogue | Page 9
Libertarians light up weed debate Lauren Shirley @SURELYLAUREN
With Rasta-colored signs, brownies for sale and the constant chant of “Legalize it,” there wasn’t any question as to what the College Libertarians were advocating for: marijuana. However, they weren’t just there to praise the drug — their booth on Davis Field next to Russell House from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. was meant to educate passersby on the U.S. war on drugs, the economic benefits of legalization and the merits of freedom over one’s body. “We’ve recently come to realize that people don’t understand this, the drug war, yet,” Michael Rose, a third-year information science student and vice president of the College Libertarians, said. “We’ve had so many people say, ‘I don’t know what that is.’” Aaron Mills, a first-year political science student, participated by yelling out “Save Lives, End the Drug War.” “The drug war disproportionally effects especially minority youth and when it does that it totally screws them over for the rest of their lives,” he said. “What happens is they get labeled as a
federal offender and from that point on n they can’t vote.” Rose said they set up the booth to o focus on education and activism, and to reach a broader audience. “We want to educate all of USC, not ot just the kids,” he said. “A lot of kids get et it — older people, not so much.” According to Rose, around 10:30 0 a.m., two police officers showed up at Davis Field to inquire if the College ge Libertarians had the proper permits to be set up there. Ross Abbott, a thirddyear business student and president of the College Libertarians, was happy to retrieve the proper documentation for or the officers. “It wasn’t about permits,” Rose said. d. “They could have called Russell House se if they really cared about it that much.”” Rose believed t hat t he of f icers rs questioned the permits in order to o investigate the contents of the brownies es sold at the booth. The brownies were a focal point of the table and a reference ce to pot brownies, but they didn’t have ve any marijuana in them. Brittany Wilt / THE DAILY GAMECOCK
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The libertarians gave literature to students.
Courtesy of USC
Roger Sawyer is a USC biology professor.
Lauren Shirley @SURELYLAUREN
Roger Sawyer of USC’s biology department has been named the new interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Saw yer is currently a biolog y professor, the senior associate dean for graduate educat ion and has served as the executive dean of the College of Arts and Sciences since 2011. “I am honored to be appointed as the interim dean of such a great college,” Sawyer said in a university announcement. “My goal is to work diligent ly w it h t he facult y, t he university administration and the search committee to hire our next leader as soon as possible.” M a r y A n ne Fit z pat r ic k , t he previous dean, was named the vice president for systems planning for USC and its satellite campuses in February. She said she was excited to see Sawyer fi lling her shoes as the interim dean. “ H i s le ader s h ip du r i ng t h i s t ra nsit ion w i l l assu re t hat t he College of Arts and Sciences will continue on its upward trajectory,” Fitzpatrick said in the university announcement. Saw yer received his bachelors of arts degree in zoology from the University of Maine, his Ph.D. in zoolog y from t he Universit y of Massachusetts and his postdoctoral deg ree i n genet ics f rom t he University of California-Davis. Saw yer has been a member of the USC professorial staff since 1975, when he joined as an assistant professor. He has also served as the chair of the biological sciences department as well as the interim dean of the College of Science and Mathematics. He was honored as a Carolina Distinguished Professor, a Carolina Tr ustee Professor and received the Mortar Board “Excellence in Teaching” Award. He is the author of over 100 research publications. Saw yer will be ser v ing in his position until a new dean is found to take over his interim spot; however, he was certain the university is in “an excellent position to attract a strong leader.”
Abby Webb / THE DAILY GAMECOCK
A large amount of students come to Thomas Cooper to study for their finals, making it one of the most popular study spots.
Students prepare to cram into Thomas Cooper for final exams Lauren Shirley @SURELYLAUREN
Fi na ls week is on it s way, wh ich mea ns t hat Thomas Cooper Library is about to get a lot more crowded. St ude nt s of t e n t u r n to the librar y for a safe study area in the leadup to f inals, but when Thomas Cooper’s seven f loors become clogged
w it h st ud iers, some students find themselves dissatisfied. “There’s people like on t he f loor and you can’t fi nd a table and it’s really loud,” Nicole Roswurm, a third-year middle level education student, said. “So you try to get things done and you just k ind of g ive up, a nd you go home.” For some, t he librar y
may be their only viable study environment, and the overpopulation stunts their ability to work. “I can’t study at home, s o w he n I c a n’t s t ud y here, it’s super frustrating b e c au s e I w o n’t g e t anything done at home,” Roswurm said. “So then I have to try and find an alternate place to go.” Accord i ng to Ja son Car rol l, t he weekend
s up er v i s or at T hom a s C o o p e r, e v e n t h o u g h fi nals are fast approaching, it’s business as usual. “There isn’t really too muc h prep t h at we do differently than what we do at our normal time,” Carroll said. The librar y rules will remain the same during exams — the building will SEELIBRARYPAGE5
Housing development planned for College, Main intersection Lauren Shirley @SURELYLAUREN
Tennessee-based housing developer EdR has begun looking to acquire property at the intersection of Main and College streets in order to build a new student housing building. EdR has been work i ng i n t he collegiate housing industr y since 1964 and has completed more than 30 housing projects — however, none thus far in South Carolina. “We’re interested in look ing at propert y there,” Susan Jennings, SEEHOUSINGPAGE5
Kamila Melko / THE DAILY GAMECOCK
The Baptist Collegiate Ministry and Sandy’s are on the block where the building will go.